Karnataka - Udupi   

Yakshagana artistes to take out rally

By Our Staff Correspondent

UDUPI, JAN. 25. A rally will be taken out and a dharna will be staged here on January 30 to oppose the alleged discrimination against artistes belonging to the Billava community at the Yakshagana Mela organised by the Mandarti Temple. This was decided at a meeting convened here on Sunday to chalk out a strategy to protest against the alleged discrimination.

The Billava leader, Malpe Raghavendra, said the rally would begin at Narayana Guru Sabha Bhavan at Bannanje and culminate in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office. A dharna would be held there and a memorandum would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner in the presence of people's representatives, including the Minister of State for Port and Fisheries and district in-charge, Vasanth V. Salian, he said. Sadashiva Kalkura, scholar, who addressed the meeting, said the refusal to give a chance to the noted Yakshagana artiste, Airody Govindappa, to perform at the mela "because he was a Billava" was untouchability at its worst. He wondered how long such practices would go on at the mela. It should be brought to an end through an organised protest, he said.

Art and literature had no caste. But how could artistes be branded on the basis of caste? The temple, which accepted offerings from the members of the Billava community, had found it difficult to accept Billava artistes, he alleged. The Government should intervene as the temple came under the Endowments Department to ensure that Billava artistes be allowed to perform from the next season. Mr. Govindappa said he had asked the temple authorities about it, who responded that they were only following the tradition. The Yakshagana artiste, Arate Manjunath, said the temple was following the tradition only to maintain its "pseudo prestige".

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